Five more Indian match officials have been added to the FIFA International List of Match Officials for 2026, taking India’s total representation to 19.
Rachana Kamani (Gujarat) has been included as a women’s referee, while Ashwin Kumar (Puducherry) and Aditya Purkayastha (Delhi) feature as men’s referees. Muralitharan Pandurangan (Puducherry) and Peter Christopher (Maharashtra) have been inducted as assistant referees.
Ashwin Kumar and Purkayastha have completed the AFC Referee Academy course in Kuala Lumpur, with Kamani currently enrolled. Meanwhile, the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw at the John F. Kennedy Center revealed major clashes, including Brazil vs Morocco and England vs Croatia, ahead of the first 48-team tournament across North America.